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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1979)
Free soul Tavern owners smiled when they rode into town last weekend; proprietors of more delicate businesses winced. Ken Kesey put them between the Shriners and the bagpipe players. They partied, raced slugs and generally enjoyed the Rhododendron Fes tival. FLORENCE - The bikers looked somehow out of place parading down main street, sandwiched between the Shriners and the 30-member Florence bagpipe team. But the Free Souls didn’t seem to notice. They idied their Harleys past the cheering crowd, flashing an occasional grimace and looking like the offspring of Clint Eastwood and Bigfoot. No one remembers exactly how a killer bike team and a flower festival first came together. But for the last 10 years the Eugene Free Souls have opened their biking season with a pilgrimage to the Florence Rhododendron Fes tival "We come to watch the parade,” explains Free Souls Vice president Marv (Free Souls don't use last names). • The bikers are an institu tion,” explained a Florence booster club member “They make the festival.” * Yet. though the b*kers have become more a part of the fes tival than rhododendrons, downtown businesses have either tried to ignore the bikers or remove them from town Bikers dump between S6-S3 000 a year into Florence s 1 GRAD STUDENTS... AFTER YOU’VE SPENT MONTHS ON YOUR GRADUATE THESIS, KEEP THE QUALITY WHEN YOU PUBLISH The professionals at Eugene Print reproduce theses and dissertations to meet the exact speci fications of the Graduate School. Make sure your publication meets Graduate School requirements Talk with our experienced staff today. We have the answers you need. xSfr EUGENE PRINT PHONE 484-2601 economy, but some businesses, like knick knack shops, do not draw biker trade. •They do scare away business," observed the owner of Paint Patch, who said she doesn’t want motorcycle gang business "They just disgust me with the things they do out there The taverns do great business, but everyone else is out in the cold " No one. however, can remember the bikers breaking a law This year Ken Kesey, master of ceremonies for the parade, decided the bikers deserved formal recognition He gave them a place in the parade for the first time and even arranged for "best bike, •oldest bike" and "rattiest bike" awards As a result, more bikers roared into town Friday than ever; their stabled machines filled an entire street for three days They walked the Florence streets wearing tatoos instead of clothes, motorcycle chains for belts, nazi insignias and small blonde women The Free Souls officially con done a philosophy of rampage They are the type of men who, given the choice between silence and speech, will hit something This Free Soul took advantage of a lull in the action at the annual Florence Rhododendron Festival Sunday to catch a few winks More than 100 Free Souls. Gypsies and Dead Men took pari in the celebration "If people step on us. we don't mind using violence in return." explained one Free Soul member "We aren't bound by traditional laws But at the Rhododendron festival they have always practiced re straint "We don't want to cause trouble." explained Marv. "We have a real good relation with this town.” "They ve always done a good job of policing themselves." admitted a booster "They ve always maintained their cool ’ But by the third day of this festival, and with increased numbers of bikers, tensions grew "All it takes." said one biker's old lady, "is for someone to bust one of their bikes and they'll be at the fight ing " A Free Soul occassionally ' .. CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCES Something to help you outl SUMMER SUBLETS*" 15 Words for $1.00 To be published FRIDAY, MAY 25 * For all those people looking for Summer Housing OR trying to find someone to take over their lease OR looking for a roommate. ADS MUST BE PLACED BY 1 PM THURSDAY, MAY 24 LOCATION: 300 EMU. EMU Main Desk, UO Bookstore CATEGORY: Summer Sublets collided verbally with a Gypsy of •'Dead Man.*' rival bikers "You damned near got 15 of your brothers shot you came that fucking close." a Free Soul told a Gypsy Sunday Usually a rival will just be called a booger the festival ended with the traditional slug race, in which contestants enter slugs and urge them to move The bikers remained calm during the read ing of the rules "Trainers are liable for any slug crashing into the crowd" and ‘ No uppers Urine samples will be taken They became restless when the slugs were placed in the circle and didn't move And when the contestants started to dry up. one biker. • Rat." lost control See that slug over there? "he said, ges turing wildly at a gooey banana slug "When that fucker crosses the finish line I'm going to eat it." He lunged madly for the ring "This is quite a shindig." said an independent biker who gave his name as Fonseroid Herk more. "I think maybe I'll return next year if I ain't dead or somebody ain't hanged me " Story by Jock Hatfield Photos by Ed Warren Kinko’s 4C Copies •Reductions •Two-sided copies •Binding 344-7894 1128 Alder
